Display-box



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DISPLAY BOX. v

No. 556,999. Patented Mar. 24, 1896.-

ATTORNEYS AN DREW BJSRAHAM. FHOTOUTHQWASHINGTONDL.

I I 2'Sheets-Sheet 2.- A. 5E: MEALY. "DISPLAY BOX. .No. 556,999. Patented Mar. 24, 1896;

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ANDREW 5.5RAHAM FHO'TO-LITHQWASHINGTDNYDE In"! H V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED E. MEALY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

DISPLAY-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,999, dated March 24, 1896. Application filed October 26, 1895. serial No. 566,977. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED E. MEALY, residing at Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and Improved Display-Box, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to displayboxes, and particularly refers to a combined advertising and goods-holding box more especially adapted for use for shipping and displaying proprietary articles; and such invention primarily has for its object to provide a box of this kind of a simple and inexpensive construction, which when packed will be in a fiat condition and take up practically no more room than an ordinary flat shipping box; which when the parts thereof are opened and adjusted to display the goods Will be adapted to rest upon a show-case or counter and present a neat and ornamental appearance and also securely hold the contents in a proper position and in full view.

The invention also has for its object to provide a box for the purposes stated having flap or cover portions so arranged that when opened out they will form a continuous border or rim surrounding the goods-holding portion and form convenient and desirable advertising-spaces.

Furthermore, the invention has for its ob.- j ect to providea box as described having the flaps or cover portions so arranged as to form a surrounding advertising space and connected to the box or body portion in such a manner as to be securely braced and held from being bent backward, they being joined together to form a practically rigid advertisingborder.

With these objects in view and such others as will hereinafter appear my invention consists in a box of the kind described, constructed in the peculiar and novel manner first described in detail and then specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 illustrates my improved box as it appears in actual use as a goods-holder and advertising media therefor. Fig. 2 is a side view of the box when folded for shipment. Fig. 3 is a view of the box folded ready for shipping. Fig. 4 is a view of the box with one of the side covers closed and its top flap folded down, the other cover partly closed and its flaps partly dropped down, and the top or supplemental cover raised. Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating both side covers and their top flaps to their closed or folded position and the top or supplemental cover or flap raised. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5, with the supplemental cover or flap down.

My improved box is constructed more especially to hold and display proprietary articles, such as can be conveniently displayed upon soda -water counters and druggists show-cases and which have an active salesuch, for instance, as headache cures and the likeand which without any supplemental attachments can, when opened out,be set upon the show-case or counter to display and advertise the contents of the box in the most desirable manner.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

A indicates the body or goods-holding portion or box proper, which is centrally divided by a partition B, made of a suitable width and with its front edge nearly but not quite flush with the front edge of the box, for a purpose presently explained, such front face forming a suitable advertising space, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, such portion in practice being made of a required stiffness, so as to form asuitable handhold whereby to move the box about when arranged as a display-holder.

The compartments 0 andD of the box have removable divisions or space-frames E to form pockets to receive the bottles or packe ages F, which, although securely supported in such pockets, can be readily removed therefrom when necessary.

By referring now more particularly to Figs. 3, 4, and 5 it will be observed that the box proper is made with upper and side extensions G' and H H, respectively, preferably inward extensions, as shown, so that the flaps hereinafter referred to will be hinged at points within the outer edges of the box.

At the side edges of the box proper are hinged, by the flexible or tape portions I I,

side covers or flaps J J, which extend the full length of the box proper and when folded in form the top of the goods-holding portion, their ends resting upon the central partition B to make the upper face of the entire box flush entirely across.

At the upper ends the covers J J have hinged thereto, preferably by the tape connections 7.; 7c, flap members K K, which are adapted to fold back onto the outer face of the covers J J, in the manner clearly indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4, the inner faces 79- k of such flap members K K serving as advertising-spaces, as will presently more fully appear.

L indicates a supplemental flap or cover member hinged by the tape connection Z to the upper end of the goods-holding portion of the box, which flap is of a width equal to that of the said goods-holding portion, and such flap is so hinged to the box portion proper that when folded down it will lie Hat on the flap members K K of the covers J J, as most clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 7.

M indicates an adjustable leg or standard secured to the back of the box, which may be of any approved construction.

By referring more particularly to Fig. 1 it will be readily seen that when the box is ar ranged as an advertising and display device the covers J J, when opened out, will rest upon theside extensions of the box, which form braces and supporting portions, which will prevent the said covers J J from being bent backward.

It will also be noticed that the flaps K K, when opened up, form practically continuations of the said side covers J J, and as they are of a length equal to the height of. the supplemental flap or cover L it follows that they are in the nature of square portions which fill the angle-spaces between the upper ends of the covers J J and the member L, such member L, as also the members K K, resting against the upper extension of the box-body and held thereby from being bent backward.

hen folded out in the manner shown the members K K are held locked to the member L by suitable flexible fastenings N N, it being manifest that when joined the members J J, K K, and L will form a continuous surrounding advertising space or border which is held from folding either inward or backward during ordinary handling, the whole forming, as it were, an advertising-plaque having a central goods-holding compartment.

hen in condition for shipping the fastenings N N are released from the members K K and such members K K are allowed to drop backward onto the cover-flaps J J, (see Fig. 1,) after which such cover-flaps are closed over the goods-compartment, as shown in Fig.

0. The flap L is then folded over the flap on top of the members K K, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, thereby leaving the box with a practically flat bottom and top face, so as to admit of other boxes being placed therein in a compact manner.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it is thought the advantages of a box constructed in the manner shown and described will be readily appreciated by those engaged in the sale and manufacture of proprietary articles.

\Vhile I have shown my box square, it is manifest that the same may be oval, rectangular, or other shape. Furthermore, instead of having the bottom made to rest on the counter and free of a hinged flap, if desired, the said bottom may have a flap-member like the top flap and the side or cover members may also be provided with supplemental fiaps at the lower end.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A box of the kind described, comprising a central or goods-holding compartment, outwardly-folding side flaps or covers, each having a supplemental flap at the upper end, an outwardly-open top flap at the end of box, said supplemental flaps being adapted to fold upon the rear sides of the side flaps and the top flaps to fold over said supplemental flaps substantially as shown and described.

2. A box of the kind described, comprising a central or goods-holding compartment, outwardly-folding flaps or covers attached to the box at points inside the edges of the boxa top flap at the end of box also attached to the box at a point inside the edge, the supple-' mental flaps attached to the top of the side flaps, and means for connecting the supplemental and top flaps at their adjacent edges when said flaps are folded outward to provide a frame or border substantially as shown and described.

A box of the class described, comprising a central or goods-holding compartment, the outwardly-folding flaps at the sides and top of box, the supplemental flaps attached to the ends of the side flaps and adapted to fold or close upon the rear side of such side flaps, the top flap being adapted to fold down upon said supplemental flaps and means for uniting the top and supplemental flaps when the said flaps are opened to provide a frame or border substantially as shown and described.

ALFRED E. MEALY. lVitnesses:

FRED G. DIETERICH, J Enw. LUoKnT'r. 

